White Flag
by Scarlet Secret
Summary: The end of an era for the original trio. And the end of Lord Voldemort at the hands of his two oldest compatriots.


"I will go down with this ship."

All she could do was fight.

She knew what she had to do.

When Harry had seen, within a vision, a large group of Death Eaters heading towards Hogwarts, most laughing maniacally, the students had all been sent to Hogsmeade and port-keyed out. Most of the teachers had gone with them. Most were worried. They were all afraid.

The Weasley family had all stayed at the school and Molly, Arthur and the other young men had all Apparated to the aid of the school.

Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and Alastor had come. Dumbledore had requested the rest of the order stay in hiding. They would not argue.

The remaining teachers all lined up along side Dumbledore for what they knew could be there final stand. The Order were behind them with the children.

_No,_ she told herself_. They've all seen too much to be children._

_  
_Harry was watching the darkening sky and she knew that he was not a child anymore. He could be a man, if he survived this. He would avenge Sirius in this fight. He would kill. Ron and Hermione stood either side of him, both with power radiating from them. They looked like they were posing for some eerie portrait.

The rest of the order and the Weasley clan were all prepared to do whatever was necessary. None of them had ever faced anything like this before.

She took her place next to Albus, with the knowledge they would not all survive this. She was unsure whom. To the other side of Albus stood Severus, this attack would reveal him to the Death Eaters as a betrayer. He looked murderous.

The other teachers, minus Hagrid, had all taken out their wands and were watching the sky with deathly serious faces. Even Sybill. For once she wasn't using a fake dreamy look, her eyes were dark and set upon the coming evil. She glowed with power.

The Death Eaters landed as one. At least a dozen of them, the obvious form of Lucius Malfoy at the front. There was an unmasked figure at the back of the group. He had red eyes and a snake like nose.

It was Lord Voldemort. The fight began.

The Order didn't cast to kill. They all shot stunners together. Some hit target but most were blocked by shields. Harry sent a Cruciatus curse directly at Bellatrix. Nobody stopped him in his revenge.

She howled in pain and nobody felt anything resembling sympathy for her. Even her own side. Then Harry muttered the curse she knew would change his life again. Green light shot from his wand and Bellatrix fell dead on the floor. A shriek came from the figure at the back.

_Bugger, probably not a good idea to enrage Lord Vol-..Tom Riddle._

That name plagued her mind to this day. She would never be able to refer to him as Lord Voldemort and she knew in her heart of hearts that Sybill couldn't either. They were all entwined by events decades old.

They had been her best friends. Now she was having weekly bitching contests with one and was attempting to put the other in his grave.

She saw him begin to throw a spell through the battle aimed right at Harry. She transformed like lightening and bolted to his aid. Leaping upon Harry she pushed him out of the way before the spell hit. When she turned it was to see a retreating black figure heading towards the school.

"No". In cat form all that was heard was a meow. She had no choice but to leave the battle and follow him. He seemed aware that he was being followed so he increased his pace, occasionally she lost him, but then her senses kicked in and she found him entering Trelawney's room.

_Great plan, Tom. Go into a dead end._

She had to transform to reach the door, and then she realised. He couldn't escape, if she went in, she would be trapped too. She could simply lock the door and fetch Albus. He would be able to finish him off. She could be beaten, then Albus would be lost. With his second in command gone he would undoubtedly do something foolish that meant they would all be doomed.

So why then did she feel the need to have her own final confrontation with the man? She needed closure. She would do anything for peace in her heart. She climbed up the steps and entered. For once the room was bitterly cold.

"Minerva", she heard her name hissed from the corner of the dark tower.

She was tempted to call him 'you-know-who', it seemed only fitting. She could also risk death and call him 'your lordship'; she was probably going to die anyway. Eventually she settled on what felt natural.

"Tom?"

"Never say that name! It means nothing!"

"It means something to me."

"And what is that my sweet?"

"A lot of things. It means friendship, the friendship I shared with a young boy nearly 50 years ago. It means youth and the times we spent together as teenagers exploiting ours. It also means love, my love. My love for my friends, the last of whom will die today. My love for you, yes Tom, I loved you. I love you. And I think if you're still in there you might feel something for me."

"Do not fool yourself Minerva! Tom Riddle is dead! But there may be a place for you at my side. You could be great. All you have to do is say yes and I will have an ally in my destruction of Hogwarts."

"Never! I will never destroy Hogwarts, it is my life. If Hogwarts goes down than I will go down with it. I will never surrender!

"Pity."

There was an eerie silence following that statement. She whispered to her wand "Lumos." A burst of light erupted from her wand illuminating the majority of the Divination classroom. He was nowhere to be seen, then...

"Crucio!"

She felt the power of the spell hit her from behind and fell to her knees with the agony. She couldn't move, but she refused to scream, he would not be allowed that satisfaction.

"To----m! I love you!"

The pain increased rapidly but she still refused to scream. If it were to be the end of her, then she would die with the dignity she deserved. Then it stopped. She barely had time to recuperate when she heard a large thump. She stood and quickly backed away. When she turned, she was shocked to realise she was looking at a man who looked sick. A man who looked tired and ill. She wasn't looking at Lord Voldemort anymore. Minerva was now looking at Tom Riddle writhing on the floor.

It was still the body of Lord Voldemort but within his eyes she could see the torment everlasting. She reached out a hand to him. Then the door burst open. It was Sybill.

"Minerva, what…?"

She stared at Tom and the question went unanswered. She understood.

"Tom." Minerva nodded.

"But how…?"

"I don't know, but it is definitely him."

"He's dying."

"What a stunning prediction!"

"Minerva, now is not the time."

"Sorry. Habit."

"Can we save him?"

"We could channel inner magic. It would be very dangerous and it could kill us too."

"But would it save him?"

"If it works."

"Then I'm willing to risk it. How about it Minerva, willing to risk dying a hero?"

"I'm willing Sybill, but I'm not stupid. We'd be risking our lives for the possibility…?"

But Sybill had already knelt next to the body.

"Sybill what do you think Albus would think? And what about Alastor, he always hated Tom, even when he was nice and normal?"

"To hell with Alastor."

She had no answer for this so she knelt the other side of Tom. Minerva raised her hands over Tom and motioned for Sybill to do the same. They clasped hands and joined eye contact. Minerva began to relax her body.

"Just relax, it has even less chance if you're tense," she continued. "Feel the power inside of you. Yours should be heightened because YOU'RE a seer!

"Very funny."

"Sybill, for this to work we both have to believe we can save him. I believe Tom Riddle is not yet lost to us."

"I don't believe, Minerva. I'M a seer, I know!"

"If you say so Sybill."

They closed their eyes and reached out with their minds. They could feel their spirits meeting. They had begun their search for the soul of Tom Riddle. If it truly did not exist in the ether they would all die.

Within the hour the other Death Eaters would be dead or arrested. And Dumbledore would find the bodies of another trio who had been willing to die for each other. Until the day they had.

The End.


End file.
